Evaluación de la calidad proteica del ensilaje de maíz (Zea mays L.) cosechado en diferentes fases fenológicas en el cantón Gonzanamá

Abstract

Abstract:The project was conducted at the Rancho Bravo farm in the Gonzanamá canton (Loja province), with the primary objective of evaluating the nutritional quality of silage made from the Nidera NS 82 maize hybrid. A one-hectare crop was planted and divided into four treatments based on harvesting at different phenological stages for silage production: T1) 30 days (development), T2) 60 days (flowering), T3) 90 days (grain filling), and T4) 110 days (harvest). Protein, fat, moisture, ash, crude fiber, and carbohydrate levels were assessed for each silage sample to determine its nutritional quality. The main results indicate that the 60-day silage yielded the highest percentages of protein and fat, as well as favorable levels for the other variables and lower ash content, making it the most suitable treatment for silage in this instance; however, it should also be noted that the other treatments (30, 90, and 110 days) showed adequate levels of protein, fat, moisture, ash, crude fiber, and carbohydrates.